US embassy cable - 04PRETORIA4464

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 004464 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DS/IP/AF 
DS/IP/ITA FOR DAN ROTHSTEIN 
STATE FOR AF/S/TCRAIG AND KGAITHER 
AMEMBASSY ROME FOR TSAR/JHALINSKI 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, ELAB, ECON, ASEC, SF 
SUBJECT: SECURITY CONCERNS AT JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL 
AIRPORT 
 
(U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Internet 
Distribution. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary. A spate of recent criminal activity at 
the Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) reveals a need 
for improved security.  Several robberies, shootings and 
unauthorized access to restricted areas have resulted in a 
police investigation.  While security precautions at the 
airport have been elevated, an ACSA official warned of more 
negative reports on airport security in the short-term.  End 
Summary. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
2.  (SBU) As background, a senior security executive 
explained that the JIA's restricted areas where 
international and domestic aprons are situated and where 
airplanes are parked can be accessed from several locations: 
 
- One, the Charlie Gate is located near the terminals.  This 
gate controls airport access for airport and airline staff 
reporting to work. 
 
- Two, the North Gate is used as an entrance and exit point 
for normal commercial cargo. 
 
- Three, the "Super" South Gate is a multi-lane entrance and 
exit point used to convey valuable cargo.  At this gate a 
variety of additional security resources are used including 
x-ray machines, upright metal detectors, handheld metal 
detectors, and police.  This gate also handles traffic that 
previously traveled via the freight and construction gates 
mentioned below. 
 
- Four, the ATNS gate used by Air Traffic and Navigation 
Services employees. 
 
- Five, an unused freight gate with airside access.  This 
was previously padlocked shut, but has now been welded shut. 
 
- Six, an unused construction gate with airside access. 
This gate was previously padlocked shut, but has now been 
welded shut. 
 
- Seven, private airline hangars.  A controlled access point 
separates these hangars from the airport's airside.  An 
unpatrolled fence separates this area from public roads. 
 
- Eight, SAA Technical, a subsidiary of South African 
Airways, maintains, repairs, and tests airplanes.  It has a 
controlled access point separating them from the runways. 
 
- Nine, terminals can be used to access airport runways and 
airplanes. 
 
------------------------------- 
RECENT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AT JIA 
------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official told 
Econoff that on September 5, armed robbers by-passed 
security at the domestic terminal and stole cash from an 
airport restaurant.  The event went unpublicized for a week 
until a local journalist learned of the robbery.  The heist 
is disconcerting because it reveals that armed thieves were 
able to enter the terminal, pass a police post, go up to the 
second level, rob the restaurant, return and drive the one- 
kilometer road off the airport premises without being 
challenged by security. 
 
4.  (SBU) The week of September 18, criminals broke into the 
airport ticket offices of British Airways (BA) and stole a 
safe from the offices of its handling company, Swissport. 
 
5.  (SBU) A senior airline executive told Econoff that on 
September 15, police confronted a suspicious individual 
attempting to enter "Charlie" gate using bogus credentials. 
As they questioned the suspect, five of his associates 
opened fire from a nearby vehicle, wounding a police 
officer. 
 
6.  (SBU) On September 16, thieves accessed the runway and 
opened fire on police officers escorting valuable cargo to a 
KLM flight bound for Amsterdam.  Police returned fire, but 
the robbers escaped.  Airport contacts told Post's 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer that there was 
reason to believe the robbers received help from the inside. 
Security officials from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) 
and the airlines confirmed this with Econoff.  They said 
that a chain securing the unused, airside construction gate 
was left unlocked and was used by the bandits during their 
get-away.  The officials were unsure whether the robbers 
entered the restricted area through the construction gate, 
although one official speculates that they may have gained 
airside access much earlier from a different location.  It 
is unknown whether this incident is connected to the 
September 15 shooting. 
 
7.  (SBU) The same day, a journalist from The Star newspaper 
reported that he was able to pass through a non-functional 
electric fence protecting the airside perimeter. A security 
official at the airport told Econoff that this fence only 
leads to the private hangar area adjacent to airside.  He 
said that the reporter would have had to pass through a 
control point before actually accessing the tarmac. 
 
8.  (U) The journalist also reported that he observed a 
number of other security breaches around the airport.  For 
instance, he saw unattended vehicles parked at the terminal; 
he observed people bypassing X-ray machines and metal 
detectors and accessing the airport's "sterile area" by 
passing through a door marked "Goods Only - No Person to 
Pass Here" despite the presence of a security guard; he 
walked unchallenged through the basement of the terminal 
where he could have potentially accessed the airport's power 
supply; he watched a person dressed in an airline uniform 
and carrying a package slip through the automatic exit door 
of the domestic arrivals "sterile" area as passengers exited 
despite the presence of security; he noted that the 
automatic exit door from the International Arrivals customs 
was apparently malfunctioning and remained in an open 
position; he drove unchallenged into the "Perishable Goods 
Cargo" area, simply waving at the security guard posted 
there; and he reported that he parked outside the airside 
perimeter fence at several prohibited locations without ever 
seeing a security patrol. 
 
--------------------------- 
WHAT'S BEING DONE ABOUT IT? 
--------------------------- 
 
9.  (SBU) South African Police Services (SAPS) is leading 
the investigation into these incidents.  An ACSA security 
executive told Econoff that SAPS is close to arresting 
several suspects believed to have been helping from the 
inside.  Director Zuma, the SAPS Commander at JIA, also told 
Post's Regional Security Office that SAPS is planning to 
brief diplomatic officials in a meeting being organized by 
the Department of Foreign Affairs.  A date for the meeting 
has not yet been set. 
 
10.  (SBU) Ironically, the incidents come just weeks after 
the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), South Africa's 
airport management firm, announced that it had installed 
1,200 surveillance cameras and spent nearly R53 million 
(about $8 million) on upgrading and replacing fences, 
barriers and access control gates throughout the airport. 
An ACSA official told Econoff that another R60 million will 
be spent by April 2005 to improve intrusion detection of 
JIA's 36 km fence, baggage-management systems, biometric and 
control room systems as well as the installation of a 
vehicle number plate recognitions system.  He said that 
during his November 2004 trip to Transportation Security 
Administration facilities in the United States he will be 
looking to purchase proven, off-the-shelf systems in use at 
U.S. airports for immediate implementation at JIA. 
 
11. (SBU) The ACSA official also said that the following 
precautions have been put in place since the KLM incident: 
 
- Increased security staff to 150 guards 24/7. 
 
- The National Intervention Unit (NIU), responsible for all 
medium to high-risk policing, and the Crime Combating Unit 
are escorting valuable cargo to and from aircraft in armored 
police vehicles. 
- NIU and Combating Unit patrolling outer perimeter while 
visible policing guards inside the airport buildings. 
 
- Rapid Response teams have been deployed throughout the 
airport premises. 
 
- Armored vehicles are on the airport premises. 
 
- Increased infrared surveillance. 
 
- The old freight and construction gates have been welded 
shut. 
- Marked and unmarked vehicles are patrolling all entry and 
exit points to the airport. 
 
12.  (SBU) In addition, the official said that 600 new 
police fresh from the academy will be assigned to JIA 
beginning in January 2005.  They are currently being trained 
on aviation security.  Over the next eighteen months a total 
of 1,700 new police officers will replace the three sub- 
contracted security firms currently patrolling the car park, 
the perimeter fence, and at the terminals. 
 
13.  (SBU) The official also told Econoff that he believes 
an "insider" is cooperating with journalists to point out 
weaknesses in airport security.  He warned of more negative 
reports on airport security in the short-term, but said they 
represent a minimal threat. 
 
FRAZER